A unilateral attack by Israel against Iran to thwart the Islamic republic’s nuclear ambitions would be an “absolute catastrophe”, French President Nicolas Sarkozy was quoted by AFP as saying on Thursday.

Sarkozy was speaking after a Group of Eight summit participated by other leaders in Italy, at which they agreed on the need to pursue a negotiated deal with Teheran in order to halt its nuclear program.

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“Israel should know that it is not alone and look at all this calm. If I have fought so hard in the name of France to get people talking about Iran it’s also a message to the Israelis that they are not alone,” he said.

On Wednesday, G-8 leaders said that they deplored last month’s post-election violence in Iran, adding that while they remained committed to seeking a diplomatic solution to Iran’s contentious nuclear program, if no progress is made, leaders will reach new decisions at a G-20 economic summit in Pittsburgh in late September.